Of Ginnie or Indian Pepper.

| | | |---|---| | 1 Capsicum longioribus siliquis. Long codded Ginnie Pepper. | 2 Capsicum minimis siliquis. Small codded Ginnie Pepper. |

The description.

The first of these plants haue square stalkes a foote high or somewhat more, set with many thicke and fat leaues, not vnlike to those of garden Nightshade, but narrower & sharper pointed, of a dark greene colour. The flowers grow alongst the stalks out of the wings of the leaues of a white colour, hauing for the most part fiue small leaues blasing out like a star, with a greene button in the middle. After them growe the cods, greene at the first, and when they be ripe of a braue colour glittering like red corall, in which is conteined little flat seedes of a light yellowe colour, of a hot biting taste like common pepper, as is also the cod it selfe: which is long, and as bigge as a finger and sharpe pointed. The second kinde of Ginnie pepper is like vnto the precedent in leaues, flowers, and stalkes. The cods hereof are small, rounde, and redde, verie like vnto the berries of Dulcamara or wood Nightshade, both in bignesse, colour, and substaunce, wherein consisteth the difference: notwithstanding the seede and cods are verie sharpe and biting, as are those of the first kinde.

The place.

These plants are brought from forren countries, as Ginnie, India, and those parts, into Spaine and Italy: from whence wee haue receiued seede for our English gardens, where they come to fruite bearing: but the cod doth not come to that bright red colour which naturally it is possessed with, which hath hapned by reason of these vnkindely yeeres that are past: but we expect better when God shall sende vs a hot and temperate yeere.

The time.

The feedes hereof muft be fowen in a bed of hot horfedung, as muske Melons are, and remooued into a pot when it hath gotten three or fower leaues, that it may the more conueniently be carried from place to place to receiue the heate of the funne: and towarde Autumne to be carried into fome houfe, to auoide the iniurie of the colde nights of that time of the yeere when it is to beare his fruite.

The names.

Actuarius calleth it in Greeke κεψικὸν, in Latin Capficum: & it is thought to be that which Auicenne nameth Zinziber caninum, or dogs Ginger: and Pliny Siliquaftrum, which is more like in tafte to pepper then is Panax, and it is therefore called Piperitis, as hee hath written in his 19. booke 12. chapter: Panax (faith he) hath the tafte of pepper and Siliquaftrum, for which caufe it is called Piperitis. The later Herbariftes do oftentimes call it Piper Indianum, or Indicum, fometimes Piper Calecuthium, or Piper Hifpanicum: in Englifh it is called Ginnie pepper, and Indian pepper: in the Germaine toong Indianifcher Pfeffer: in lowe Dutch Brafilie Peper: in French Poiure d' Inde, verie well knowne in the fhoppes at Billingfgate by the name of Ginnie pepper, where it is vfually to be bought.

The temperature.

Ginnie pepper is extreme hot and drie euen in the fourth degree: that is to faie, farre hotter and drier then Auicen fheweth dogs ginger to be.

The vertues.

Ginnie pepper hath the tafte of pepper, but not the power or vertue, notwithftanding in Spaine and fundrie parts of the Indies they do vfe to dreffe their meate therewith, as we do with Calecute pepper: but (faith my author) it hath in it a malitious qualitie, whereby it is an enimie to the liuer & other of the entrails; Auicen writeth that it killeth dogs. It is faide to die or colour like faffron, and being receiued in fuch fort as faffron is vfually taken, it warmeth the ftomacke, and helpeth greatly the digeftion of meates. It diffolueth the fwellings about the throte called the Kings Euill, as kernels and cold fwellings; and taketh away fpots and lentiles from the face, being applied therto with honie.